CASINO ROYALE adds a more serious quality to the Bond franchise that heightens the jeopardy to an exciting level. Daniel Craig as the new James Bond is an excellent addition. That said, the movie is a more adult Bond movie. It has a humanist worldview, brief foul language, sexual content, and strong violence, including a very strong torture. Audience Reviews for Casino Royale May 01, 2017 Rebooting a film franchise can often come across as an act of desperation: an admission that the characters or story have been taken as far as they. 'Casino Royale' hits Blu-ray at a crucial time for the format. Recently overtaking HD DVD in terms of total unit sales for the first time since launch, Blu-ray is enjoying the sales edge, and a big title like 'Casino Royale' should only help solidify that lead. I absolutely love Casino Royale. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the mega casinos, is Casino Royale. It has always been an enjoyable place to place, and one of the few places on the strip that your money seems to last, to be able to play a little while.
The property, which has existed since 1978 has only been known as Casino Royale starting in 1992. Owned by Tom Elardi, this is a very small hotel and casino built for the low rollers. But, what it lacks in size is made up for by location and price, as it is in the heart of the action on Las Vegas Blvd.
When you walk out of Casino Royale whose entrance puts you directly on the strip, on either side of you are major properties like Venetian and Harrah’s Las Vegas. Casino Royale is like the tiny 45th man on the football team that nobody ever notices because he never plays, but he still gets a championship ring because he shows up for work like everybody else.
The hotel at Casino Royale is owned and operated by Best Western Plus. There are many hotels like these nearby the strip, but this one has the advantage of being situated directly on it. When you become aware about all the magnificent resort casinos in Vegas you might ask why stay at the Best Western Plus at Casino Royale?
If you are planning to mostly be out of the room indulging in what the city has to offer and just need a place to occasionally the rest, now the question might become why not stay there? Because where else on the strip are you going to find a hotel that has free parking, no resort fees, and is close to many of the major casinos? Las Vegas has these mini hotel and casinos because this city is about accommodating everybody, of all budgets.
The gaming floor at Casino Royale is a modest 17,500 square feet with its table games bunched together in one small pit area. There is little variety, but the minimum bets are low and there is no trace of secondhand smoke. If all the strip casinos were a large sectional sofa, Casino Royale would be the ottoman.
Despite being so small, Casino Royale is still able to specialize in blackjack. There are multiple tables of two of the recently created variations, Free Bet Blackjack and Blackjack Switch – each of which have a $5 minimum.
Single deck blackjack is also available for $5 or $10 with a 6-5 payout where the dealer must hit soft 17.
The minimum is usually $5 when playing craps at Casino Royale, but they will also run a $3 game on select days and times. Odds are the standard 3-4-5. You can also play virtual craps which has just a $1 minimum.
Standard double zero roulette runs for $5, with virtual roulette also available for $2.
– Three Card Poker Progressive ($5 minimum)
As you can see, we weren’t kidding when we said variety is scarce, but there are enough tables of every game so that you should never expect to wait for a seat.
We don’t have an exact total count on slots, but are confident there is at least 300 machines. You won’t find a high limit section, and the most you can wager is $5 per credit. Otherwise, the limits start at a penny and rise gradually up to $1 and $2. Casino Royale still has some really old looking machines, but they are up to date with everybody else in terms of game variety.
Some games worth mentioning are Top Dollar, Cleopatra, Willy Wonka, Super Monopoly, Megabucks, Lock It Link, and even the giant Wheel of Fortune which is hard to come by, even in Las Vegas.
A view of the giant Wheel of Fortune Machine from our last visit to Casino Royale:
Video poker players can play for comped drinks at the bars, but otherwise there aren’t that many machines and the payouts are nothing special. There is one small section of video poker games. The limits start at 2 cents and move up slowly to $1 and $2 a hand.
There is no actual sportsbook, but there is a sign on the strip advertising for William Hill, and you’ll see the cashier for it at the sports bar when you walk in. It serves well if you just want to drop in and out. There is no betting board, but all the daily lines along with those for futures, props, and upcoming events are shown on pamphlets.
Since this is just a drop-in sportsbook, they don’t give out any drink tickets. But since this is run by William Hill, that means you can bet on games after they have started, also known as live betting.
Since there is no betting board that displays the bet number for each game, you will need to open an account which you can do for free right inside and then download the William Hill sports betting app. The app has all the betting numbers the betting board would say, and it also allows you to place a bet from anywhere in Nevada.
The Best Western Plus at Casino Royale has 152 rooms and suites available. There is no spa or other spectacular amenities, but you do get free WiFi along with pool and fitness center access. Discounts are given to AAA and CAA members and, they are also given if you stay multiple nights or book in advance by about seven weeks.
The Best Western Plus advertises they do not follow the trend of the other strip hotels by tacking on a hefty resort fee, but its pricings function as if a resort fee was already included. Weekday rates for one night for the standard rooms are usually in the $120 range and around $200 on weekends, with the suites being well over $200 during the week and over $300 for the weekend.
Since it is only a Best Western Plus these prices may not sound especially competitive, but what you are paying for is the convenience of your location and you are absolutely getting it. However, with many other hotels right nearby who sometimes offer very low rates, it is best to check with them too as they might be the better value.
You won’t find any fine dining here. The closest you get to that is an Outback Steakhouse. What you will find are numerous options for late night munchies with its most notable selection being White Castle which is open 24/7. Beyond that is a 24/7 Denny’s (lol), Ben and Jerry’s, and a food court where you can get footlong hot dogs until 4 AM on weekends.
Drinking options are tame. Fat Tuesday’s frozen drinks are served daily and is open till sometime after midnight. The sports bar has a few TVs and video poker, but after those the only way to drink is by ordering them from cocktail servers while you gamble.